


The Opposite of a Meet Cute

by Troth



Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Kravitz dies but he gets better, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-16
Updated: 2018-06-16
Packaged: 2019-05-24 01:53:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,044
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14945414
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Troth/pseuds/Troth
Summary: Kravitz had never really thought of his death as tragic. He hadn't had much in life and he was quite happy serving as the Raven Queen's emissary. It isn't until about a decade later until he realizes just how twisted it really was.





	1. Chapter 1

Kravitz hadn’t had a decent meal in ages. It turned out that constantly being on the road and having busking be your only source of income wasn’t very profitable. He remembered when he first set off on his own thinking that putting himself out there and seeing the world would be the path to his big break. Someone would hear him playing on the street and recognize his talent. He’d be conducting the world's most prestigious orchestras in no time. He couldn’t have been more wrong. 

Instead he was traveling two cities over on foot because someone has suggested he might get a good free meal there. That was an opportunity he couldn’t afford to pass up. Which was unfortunate because he stuck out like a sore thumb here. Usually he had no trouble blending into the crowds. Here though the people were all rich. It showed in everything from the way they dressed to the way they carried themselves. Kravitz couldn’t look more out of place if he tried. It made him incredibly self conscious but he persevered. He was too hungry not to. 

Advertisements for this event were hung up all throughout the city so it wasn’t hard for him to find. He followed their directions until he found a caravan set up just on the outskirts of town. Once he got there he took a seat and waited for the show to start. 

As the show began an absolutely breathtaking man took the stage. He had dark skin and long blond hair which he’d pulled back into an intricate braid behind him. His eyes gleamed with something dangerous. He radiated confidence as he introduced himself. Kravitz certainly hadn’t come here for the show but he found he couldn’t take his eyes away. He watched, entranced, as the man performed. His beauty wasn’t the only thing that drew him in. It was also his talent. The combination of his skill in cooking and magic blended together so seamlessly. It all looked so complicated yet effortless. And gods he was funny. This was a man born to have an audience. 

After what felt like no time at all, it was time for the real reason Kravitz had come here. The staff began to set up tables and trays of food as the audience lined up. Judging from the smell alone this would be the best meal he’d had in ages. 

Once he’d been served Kravitz made his way to sit towards the back of the crowd. He could feel the disapproving looks shot his way by the obviously richer members of the audience and he wanted to get away from that as much as possible. 

The food was better than he ever could have imagined. It wasn’t just an act then, the man really was that talented. Despite his hunger he did his best to savor this meal, knowing he’d probably never eat this well again. As he ate though, something seemed off. Concerned murmurs were coming from the front of the audience. Some of them looked a bit faint. The chatter grew louder as the rest of the audience started to experience the same feeling of sickness. Then he watched as they suddenly grew worse. They were coughing and hacking, gasping for breath as they doubled over. He watched helplessly as they suffered and suddenly felt the sickness starting to take hold of him as well. 

His whole body felt like it was burning. He choked on the air as it suddenly became much harder to breathe. Bile burned at the back of his throat as he fell to the ground, curling in on himself in agony. He was starting to losing consciousness now. He didn’t have much longer. With a strangled sob he spent his last moments thinking a final prayer to his goddess, hoping there would at least be mercy in death for him. And as his eyes grew heavy with the promise of death, he caught sight of that elf one last time. He had fallen to his knees in front of the caravan, sobs wracking his body as he pleaded for help that would never come. It was a shame really. Kravitz would have loved to see him smile just one last time. 

That was his last thought before he finally succumbed to unconsciousness. Once death finally overtook him he found himself face to face with the Raven Queen herself, and she greeted him with open arms.


	2. Chapter 2

Taako looked around at the frozen scene before him in horror. It was all too familiar to him. He relived it nearly every night after all. Being back here though, seeing it in such clear detail, this was too much. He glanced over the faces of the crowd, taking in what they looked like in the moments before they died. His stomach dropped when he caught sight of a familiar face. There in the very back was Kravitz. No wonder he’d been so intent on killing them. He probably hated Taako for what he’d done. 

June gently guided him away from the scene before him. She led him towards another wagon and there was Sazed, staring intently down at a bottle of arsenic. 

“Well I--I guess this must come as some small relief, right? Like all this time you thought your transmutation, your reckless magic, is what killed the town of Glamour Springs. In actuality it was, you know, plain ol’ jealousy. But… still, all those people died,” she said.

“The people of this town died all the same and you fed them their death.”

Taako didn’t know how to feel. At first he’d been relieved. All this time he’d thought that he had been responsible. He’d been so scared of what he’d done and if he’d do it again. But now he knew that he hadn’t had anything to do with it.

Except that wasn’t true. He did have something to do with it. He’d driven Sazed to kill forty people. If he’d only been kinder to him or even just tried the food beforehand they’d all still be here. June was right. He’d fed them their death and just walked away from it like nothing happened. And now that he had the opportunity to fix things, he knew he’d have to walk away again. 

The vision around him faded and it came time to make their choice. Taako tried to convince himself that he’d made the right one.

 

After finally escaping from Refuge all Taako wanted to do was sleep for the next week or so. Dying a bunch of times and reliving his worst memories had really taken a lot out of him. He still felt pretty shaken from learning about Sazed. 

He wasn’t paying much attention when he entered his dorm, too occupied with shedding his gear. When he turned to enter the room he found himself face to face with Kravitz. In the back of his mind he realized they’d broken their promise to him, but that thought was overwhelmed by the image of Kravitz in the audience of his show. He pictured him, face crumpling in pain as the arsenic took affect. He was so caught up these thoughts that he almost hadn’t heard Kravitz speak. 

“Well, we need to talk, don’t we? ‘Cause you boys… You’ve added quite a bit to your death count, haven’t you?” Kravitz said as he approached him. Taako would have thought he’d bring up Glamor Springs now that they were alone. Well if Kravitz wasn’t going to then neither was he. He’d had enough of remembering in the past few days. 

“…That one’s on me,” Taako responded after a moment. Kravitz gestured for him to sit and they made their way towards the couch. He’d listened patiently as Taako tried to explain what had happened in Refuge. When it became clear that Taako was too exhausted to keep up with the conversation they’d agreed to reschedule. Taako suggested that they meet at the Chug and Squeeze instead. Kravitz, not realizing what he was signing up for, agreed and took his leave. 

 

The Chug and Squeeze had been a mistake. Well, specifically enjoying himself too much and continuing to see Kravitz had been a mistake. Kravitz made him happy and open in a way that he’d never been with anyone. But the longer he spent in his company the more guilty he felt about avoiding the topic of Glamor Springs. Taako didn’t even know if Kravitz recognized him. He should hate him. He shouldn’t want anything to do with him. Kravitz had died at his show and Taako had done nothing but run away. How could he stand to look at him after that? Taako was convinced that Kravitz must not know. This was bad because as Taako felt himself growing more serious about Kravitz, he knew that he’d have to tell him. He didn’t dare let himself hope that their relationship could continue afterwards either. That thought hurt more than anything but just this once, Taako wanted to do the right thing. He at least owed Kravitz that much. 

It was a rare occasion when Taako had the dorm to himself when he decided to bring it up. The two of them had spent the evening curled up together on the couch sharing stories over a bottle of wine. They both loved nights in this, talking about anything and everything in the comfort of each other’s company. Taako would miss this.

“Hey we need to talk,” Taako said, sitting up from where he was laying against Kravitz’s arm.

“Ok?” Kravitz said, concern clear in his voice. 

“Do you...do you remember how you died?” Taako asked. Understanding quickly came over Kravitz’s face. 

“Oh,” Kravitz said.

“Oh? What do you mean oh?” Taako asked.

“I think perhaps we should have discussed this earlier,” Kravitz said. “I didn’t realize you knew.” Taako stared down at his hands in his lap.

“I didn’t at first,” he began. “But the relic we collected from Refuge showed me that day again and I saw you there. And I finally found out that what happened wasn’t my fault but I still…” he cut himself off as he choked back a sob, swiping hurriedly at his eyes before the tears could fall. 

“You thought you did it?” Kravitz asked.

“You didn’t?” Taako asked incredulously. 

“No, I didn’t. I saw you that day before...well before.” Kravitz said softly. “I saw you crying when everything happened and...you looked so scared and horrified. When I saw you like that I didn’t think for a moment that you could have been the one who’d done it.”

“I always thought I’d made a dumb mistake. Transmuted nightshade instead of elderberries,” Taako said. Kravitz took gently took his hand, tracing circles into it with his thumb. 

“Taako you are the most talented wizard and chef I’ve ever met. It was clear to me even after only one of your shows that you could never make a mistake like that,” Kravitz told him. Taako didn’t have a response to that. He could only pull Kravitz closer to him, burying his sobs in his chest. Kravitz held him in a tight embrace, rubbing his back and pressing a kiss into his hair. They stayed like that until Taako’s tears finally slowed and he pulled back enough to look Kravitz in the eye.

“Are you really ok with this?” he asked quietly. Kravitz brought a hand up to his cheek and brushed away the tears that remained there. Carefully, he pulled Taako forward enough to press a kiss to his forehead.

“Of course I am,” he murmured into the small space between them. “I’ve thought you were incredible from the moment I first saw you Taako. Nothing could ever change that. Especially not something that wasn’t your fault.” Taako’s face crumpled like he would start crying again. Instead he took Kravitz’s face in his hands like he couldn’t quite believe he was real and pulled him in for a kiss. It was slow and sorrowful but filled with relief. When he pulled away he buried his face into Kravitz’s shoulder. They spent the rest of the night curled up together as close as possible, drifting off to sleep in each other’s arms.

**Author's Note:**

> I saw a post from the taz shitpost generator today and it I took it too seriously


End file.
